About the Journal

Previously known as the International Journal of Rural Law and Policy, the International Journal of RRR Law and Policy (IJ RRR LP) is the only Australian journal dedicated primarily to the research of regional rural and remote socio-legal, governance, natural resource, and sustainability regulation issues. The Journal is committed to creating knowledge, promoting scholarly debates, and disseminating research outcomes to the widest communities. The Journal welcomes articles on a broad spectrum of legal developments, laws and policies that advance the understanding of the regional, rural and remote issues and governance. The journal is peer-reviewed by highly qualified, distinguished researchers and is not limited to any geographic location and follows an open access policy for its publications. The primary audience for this journal include the academic legal community, practitioners, policymakers, educators, researchers, and students, who have an interest in contemporary issues, policies and practices relating to regional, remote and rural areas.The journal aims to publish two issues per year with one edition a year dedicated to a chosen RRR theme. These editions will give preference to articles on the given theme but may also include other unsolicited papers. The Journal will also publish editions containing unsolicited, relevant papers on an ad hoc basis. We also invite comment (see the comment link to each paper) upon all papers published in the Journal. On a periodic basis, the comments will be reviewed and a ‘commentary' published in the journal thereby generating and supporting a lively community of scholars of RRR law and policy, as well as contributing innovative and valuable ideas to the field.

Focus and Scope

Many excellent journals deal with legal doctrine and practice, policy and institutions. None, however, concentrate specifically upon the unique issues and features of regional, rural and remote (RRR) law and policy. Such issues are sufficiently distinctive and important to justify the specialist focus of this journal.

People in RRR areas encounter many of the same law and policy issues that challenge their urban counterparts: crime, for example, the struggle for social justice, property and commercial transactions, and the pursuit of sustainability. However,RRR  people face these challenges from within distinct environments that affect the character of the challenges themselves as well as the feasible responses to them. Out of such features arise many law and policy issues that are critical to RRR people but which may be of marginal interest to major population clusters in large urban areas. Natural resources law and policy, Indigenous social justice, and equity of access to services, transport, and the justice system are illustrative of such issues. There are also many issues that may not be uniquely RRR preoccupations but which take on a particular character in a RRR, setting, including sexual freedom, personal reputation or professional ethics in small communities, and the challenges of creating viable enterprise networks when distant from urban centres where most consumers reside.

These special considerations for RRR law and policy are relevant throughout the world. In these times of seismic shift in political, social and economic circumstances there is arguably more than ever before both the need and the opportunity to learn from each other how to conceptualise, design and develop better governance systems, innovative legislative frameworks, and improved policies..  The IJ RRR LP provides a platform through which to explore and share this important learning.

Journal History

Since its inception in 2011, IJ RRR LP has contributed significantly to the publication of articles on rural and regional issues. The first publication was launched in November 2011. The articles in that first issue resulted from a colloquium on water law convened by the University of New England in January 2011. Since that time, the Journal has published several special issues concerned with REDD+ and mangroves, soil governance, mining law and policy, and rural, regional legal issues. The journal has also published a diverse range of articles, from the application of family violence law in rural Australia to policies to seed banks, rural crime and more.

The current Board of Editors is indebted to the former editors and managers for their dedication and hard work in establishing the Journal and building its reputation.  Former Chief Editors, Amanda Kennedy, Wei Wei, Ciprian Radavoi and Same Varayudej, and Journal Manager, Miriam Veerbeek, are to be congratulated for their excellent contributions. Their considerable efforts have brought the Journal to the place from where it is now possible to take it to next level.

Got a question?

Please get in contact: ijrrrlawandpolicy@une.edu.au